Black and White
by FlameArchanist
Summary: Two mortal enemies stand against each other in one final battle. Who will prevail? Sand or Leaf?


Disclaimer: The only Naruto things I own is the first manga issue.

Rating: (shrug)

**Black and White**

Two pairs of green eyes clashed. The field of battle was already strewn with the conquered. Gaara studied the situation. The noise from the spectators was merely an echo in his mind. He would have never thought that this girl would get this far. She had surpassed even the genius Uchiha Sasuke.

It was his move and he knew it. The combatants were motionless. Slowly even the crowd caught the tension and stilled. A breeze playfully blew through the stadium. It stirred dust on the platform.

It reminded Sakura uneasily of Gaara's ability with the minute particles of stone. The wind wound its reckless way through the space between the two. Sakura's hair moved with the same friendly gust as Gaara's.

It was the closest he had ever felt towards another human being. The watchers held a collective breath as Gaara seemed to reach a decision. He made a move. Sakura flipped her hair behind her ears as unaffected as the wind.

Her forehead protector lay forgotten on the floor. It had come off just minutes before thanks to the ungodly heat. Only Gaara seemed unfazed by the merciless sun.

She could tell that the demon boy was loosing his cool. Even if the heat was not enough to make his mind wander she would be. She was wearing him thin, giving him less and less to work with. Even his unbeatable sand was useless at this point. Jade green and vibrant emerald glared almost visible sparks at each other.

She made a seemingly pointless move. Gaara quickly swooped in to relieve her of that defense. Sakura smirked. Gaara had the unpleasant feeling that she was luring him into a trap. He looked around for a weak point.

There was the obvious one, but he had a feeling that if he went for it he would regret it. The shinobi and the villagers gathered were again waiting for his move.

His turns seemed to last the longest in preparation. He knew Sakura could not move until he did. She was testing him. Evaluating him with those verdigris orbs that had passed over many enemies. In that horrible know it all attitude she held he could sense a tinge of conceit. He would just have to wipe that out of her. Forcibly.

Gaara knew she was known as brilliant and that even Hatake Kakashi had described her as 'the village's shrewdest child'. Although even he had to admit. She was no longer a child. Her soft curves now filled out her usual dress and her hair had grown again, not as long as before, but almost there.

The pale pink almost distracted him from what he had to do. He was almost reluctant to hurt her. He had grown stronger in these past years. He could almost control Shukaku long enough for a cat nap now and then. His mental clarity had been boosted considerably thanks to those short periods of blessed sleep.

Yet still his concentration was not as rock solid as it should have been. His body had grown along with his power and now had the useless urgings of any normal teenager. 'If I had to be so special in the first place why does everything else have to be normal about me?' Gaara shook his head and narrowed his eyes bringing his attention back to the task at hand.

This had become one of the most watched confrontations in Konoha. The shinobi pitting their power and intelligence against the others for the dignity of themselves and their families. There had yet to be a death to shadow over the proceedings. Unlike the Chuunin exams, most of the it with spectacular battles and important skills, were a sight unseen by those who lived there.

The people were excited to be able to witness the events from the start. Learning to love the winners and leaving little pity with the losers. Those gathered were obviously biased and showed it with vigor.

Every time Gaara made a good move a couple scattered hand claps could be distinguished from the general hissing. When Sakura made a move excited whispers on her intelligence could be heard as a backdrop to the enthusiastic applause.

The simpler people did not understand the game that the two ninjas were playing with each other but could discern the correctness of a move by the gleam in the mover's eye.

Gaara made his move, not where Sakura had been hoping he would attack. Which was exactly what she wanted him to do. With a sheen of victory impending flushed over her smooth face she reached out and simply stated.

"Checkmate."


End file.
